Apology for jihad, remarks against "homosexuals, Jews, Christians": the government intends to temporarily close the Great Mosque of Beauvais (Oise), accused by the Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin of attacking the "republican model and the France ".

"Today we have initiated the closure of the Beauvais mosque, (which is) completely unacceptable, which fights Christians, homosexuals and Jews," the Minister of the Interior declared on CNews.

"I do not have a trembling hand against people who deeply attack our republican model and France," he added.

A closure of up to six months

The prefecture of Oise confirmed "consider" taking a decision to administrative closure of the mosque "for up to six months".

It is based on sermons "inciting hatred", "violence" and "defending jihad".

“As part of the adversarial procedure, a letter was sent at the end of last week notifying the envisaged decision.

We are currently within the ten-day deadline for all observations, ”she told AFP.

The authorities "reproach" the place of worship "certain remarks made in the context of the sermons by one of the imams of the mosque, who intervened on a voluntary basis", explained to AFP Me Samim Bolaky, lawyer of the association Hope and fraternity that manages the place.

He assures us that this imam has since been "suspended".

This man, "presented as an occasional speaker, but who in reality acts as an appointed imam" would, according to the Ministry of the Interior, make remarks making "the apology for jihad and the combatants, whom he describes as heroes".

He would also defend "a rigorous practice of Islam" and "its superiority over the laws of the republic".

"Most of the words are taken out of context"

According to the ministry, his words "castigate" the "disbelievers and present Western societies as Islamophobic".

They push "the faithful to break with the Republic" and "incite hatred of homosexuals, Jews and Christians".

But for Me Bolaky "the majority of the remarks are taken out of their context".

“We have over 150 hours of content.

You have to appreciate a statement in its entirety, ”he pleaded.

The association he defends “has always fought terrorism, has always favored living together. It is a mosque which is respectable ”, assured the lawyer, indicating that the decision had been notified to them Friday. A closure "would appear disproportionate to him because all of the accusations made are linked to the volunteer imam and not to the association and to the mosque itself", continued the lawyer, who does not exclude to challenge the decision before the administrative court. Comments "may have escaped the sagacity of the association, but for all that (...) penalizing the large place of worship seems disproportionate", he insisted.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, 2,623 mosques and prayer rooms are established in the national territory.

Among these places of worship, 99 "suspected of separatism" have been checked "in recent months".

"For 36 places of worship, the checks showed that the law of the Republic was strictly observed there," said the ministry.

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  • Mosque

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  • Gerald Darmanin

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